GALION — First Presbyterian Church in Galion is on the move.
The church parish recently sold the building at 240 S. Market St. and is in the process of temporarily moving to First United Church of Christ, 248 Harding Way West. They will share that building with the UCC parish.
Gary Proietti, temporary part-time pastor of the church, said the move was needed because the church had to start downsizing. The building will not be vacant long however, as Wesley Chapel in Galion purchased the church and will move in within the next couple weeks.
“The church decided this is something we needed to do,” he explained. “First United Church of Christ is a sister congregation to ours, and we had thought about moving there. We moved there back in the time when we built the new building back in 1991 and we spent about six to eight months there. We went to them again and asked if we could meet with them indefinitely. It will still be temporary, but it will be until we find a location of our own. Right now we’re just in the process of downsizing.”
Proietti said the church and parish will keep its individual identity and its corporate charter, as will First United Church of Christ. He explained the congregation of First United Church of Christ will gather at 10 a.m., while the Presbyterian Church membership will meet at noon on Sundays for services.
“We will do some things together as we’ve done in the past … certain special services we will join together and we will do that with other activities as well,” he said.
On Sunday, July 19, Proietti said congregations from First Presbyterian, First United Church of Christ as well as those from Wesley Chapel and the Malby Valley Presbytery will meet at the 240 S. Market Street location.
“We’re going to move some stuff this weekend and then more on Wednesday. We’re going to have our first service on July 26 at First United Church of Christ,” Proietti said.
He Adair Pittman, from First United Church of Christ, organized some of the Galion High School football team members to help move boxes on Friday, July 17.
Proietti said the has resulted in a mixed bag of emotions.
“The members are sad and I’m sad,” he noted. “We’re all kind of sad, but we’re looking forward to a new venture in our existence. We’re too small to keep a large building, but we’re too large to give it up and disband. We want to continue our mission in the City of Galion. That’s what we’re going to try to do in the next year or so.”
